Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links … Bears, Eagles, Steelers among nine most improved teams ahead of 2024 NFL season – NFL.com
2) All the chaos that festered around the Eagles late last season has been eclipsed by another strong offseason. Let’s start with the coaches. Having Kellen Moore calling plays on offense and Vic Fangio running the defense will make Nick Sirianni’s job as head coach much easier. The signing of running back Saquon Barkley gives the offense another dynamic weapon while the defense added a disruptive edge rusher in Bryce Huff (to replace Haason Reddick) and a critical leader in the secondary (safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson returns to the team after a spending last year in Detroit). Philadelphia also killed it in the draft once again. The squad needed more help for a woeful pass defense and ultimately landed two stellar defensive backs with its first two picks (Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean). The Eagles still need to figure out how to avoid what led to their implosion in 2023. But they have enough talent to think a return to the top of the NFC East is a likelihood.
NFL Football Power Index: 2024 projections, Super Bowl chances – ESPN
Can Eagles, Jaguars overcome 2023 collapses? FPI is a believer in the Eagles. Despite the team falling apart and losing six of its final seven games last season — including a 32-9 blowout loss to the Buccaneers in the wild-card round — the model is backing the Eagles as the fourth-best team in the NFC behind the 49ers, Lions and Cowboys and makes them narrow favorites to win the NFC East (49%). The Eagles still have the foundation of a contender, with good or great players at critical positions such as quarterback, tackle, wide receiver and along the defensive line. They’ve also added new coordinators.
2024 NFL roster rankings: Strengths, weaknesses and X factors for every starting lineup – PFF
3. Over/Under 10.5 win total: Over. Despite their immense struggles on defense last season, the Eagles are still the most talented team in the NFC East heading into 2024. Their revamped secondary should improve their team as a whole. They added Saquon Barkley to an already dynamic offense. The biggest variables are their new coordinators on each side of the ball, but they should be the favorites to win their division.
Eagles defense looking for quantity over star power in 2024 – BGN
The defensive roster is not packed with stars. Instead, coordinator Vic Fangio will have a lot of intriguing, if unproven, younger players with which to wield his genius, but very few guys one would earmark for the Pro Bowl here at the end of May. Cornerback Darius Slay is obviously the highest profile defensive player on the team right now after general manager Howie Roseman traded away their biggest star from the last few seasons, Haason Reddick.
I don’t know if you can call C.J. Gardner-Johnson a “star,” but he was a relatively big name free agent the team brought back to play safety this season, and if James Bradberry isn’t a June 1 cut and can return to his 2022 form, he’d be another borderline “star.” Bryce Huff got a big money deal from Roseman, but is he a “star” after just one productive season as a high impact edge rusher? Do you consider him a “star?”
Outside of that, it’s a mix of former and current Day 1 and 2 draft picks Fangio is hoping will become stars in 2024.
Eagles rookie NFL player comparisons: RB Will Shipley – PhillyVoice
The way that Shipley is able to slalom through defenders reminds me a bit of the running style of the Bills’ James Cook. If you watch Shipley’s highlight reel above and the Cook’s immediately thereafter, you can see the similarities.
Both Shipley and Cook were thought of as “complementary” backs coming out of college, because neither player possesses ideal size, though Cook carried the ball 237 times for 1122 yards and caught 44 passes for 445 yards for the Bills in 2023.
Photo Gallery: 2024 Eagles Playground Build – PE.com
The entire Eagles organization gathered at the Stephen Girard Elementary School in South Philadelphia on Wednesday for a transformational day as murals were painted, a playground structure erected, and a turf field installed for the children. 2024 marked the 27th Eagles Playground Build.
5 questions for another glimpse at Eagles’ 2024 OTAs – NBCSP
3. How does John Ross look? There’s a new notable receiver on the roster since last week’s open practice. Not long after the Eagles lost DeVante Parker to retirement, they signed former first-round pick John Ross, who was in town during rookie camp as a tryout player. Ross, 28, was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2017 draft but has had a disappointing career. He played in 37 games over his five-year career and has just 957 receiving yards.
His last game action came in 2021 and he officially retired last year only to start a comeback with his appearance at rookie camp earlier this month. It’s intriguing to think about the Eagles’ signing a guy who once held the Combine’s 40-yard dash record (4.22) but it’s pretty unrealistic to think he’ll actually be a contributor with the team this year.
Heck, he’s even a pretty big longshot to make the roster. But the fact that the Eagles signed Ross tells me that he can still run. And that speed better be evident in a practice without pads.
Reports suggest again that CeeDee Lamb could be first major Dallas Cowboys extension to happen – Blogging The Boys
This doesn’t explicitly say that Lamb will be the first of the three to get paid by the Cowboys but it does seem to point arrows in that direction. Given everything involved that makes the most sense, especially if the team can beat the Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals, San Francisco 49ers and/or Miami Dolphins and their respective wide receivers.
But each player involved carries their own level of importance. Whether or not you or I or anyone wants to extend any or all of the players, there are arguments to be made both for and against. Ultimately if there is one disposition that we can all agree upon it is that waiting generally leads to the price rising.
So even if the Cowboys get a deal done with Lamb a year from now they could be facing a larger number with Parsons. It takes two to tango and that is fair to say with regards to negotiations. But the timelines involved here were all known and able to be anticipated with caution and measure.
Daniel Jones ranked 23rd on Chris Simms’ QB list – Big Blue View
When providing an explanation on Jones at 23rd, Simms stated that Jones was the hardest guy to peg on the entire list. Simms went on to defend Daniel Jones for the lack of protection and the lack of true receiving talent.
“He’s big, he’s tough, and he’s an exceptional athlete. And he’s a better thrower and passer than he’s given credit for. It’s not sexy; it’s not dynamic. It’s a little machine-like; it doesn’t look that cool…Daniel Jones may lead football in the last five years with throwing strikes while being drilled in the chest.”
Simms then went on to elaborate on the frustrations of Jones. Lack of dynamic passes, sometimes locking in on first reads too long, questionable decisions, and a lack of effect on the team; a lack of pizzazz.
The 5 O’Clock Club: Will there be veteran OTs available to sign due to post-June 1st salary cap cuts? – Hogs Haven
In practical terms, there is little to no hope that an NFL team will make the decision, in the coming month of June, to release a veteran offensive tackle with the skill to start in the NFL. If any team is planning to offload a player, he will be shopped on the trade market first.
The only cap casualty released in the past two seasons who did anything significant in the NFL following his release was Dalvin Cook in June of ‘23, and what he accomplished wasn’t impressive. Cook is now an unsigned free agent desperately hoping for one more…
